Gary Nkombo’s Police Report: A Stark Warning of Hichilema’s Intolerance to Dissent
By Thandiwe Ketis Ngoma
Former Minister of Local Government, Hon. Gary Nkombo, has just delivered one of the clearest warnings about the state of democracy in Zambia today, and he did not even say a word about it. His actions did the talking.
Faced with rumours that he may challenge President Hakainde Hichilema for the UPND presidency, Gary Nkombo rushed to the Zambia Police to distance himself from the speculation. He did not laugh it off. He did not ignore it. He reported it, like a man being hunted by his own thoughts.
Why? Because in President Hichilema’s Zambia, even the idea of political ambition is treated like a crime.
Is It Now Illegal to Have Political Aspirations?
Gary Nkombo is a founding member of the UPND. He has stood shoulder to shoulder with Hichilema for years. Yet, with just the hint of ambition whispered in political corners, Nkombo was forced to denounce any intention of challenging the President, report anonymous individuals to the police, and publicly grovel in a manner that should unsettle every democrat in this country.
Let us call it what it is: forced loyalty under duress. This is not democracy. It is political hostage-taking.
In Hichilema’s Zambia, Ambition Equals Treason
Under President Hichilema, power is no longer shared. It is hoarded, guarded, and weaponized. Anyone who even appears to pose a political threat is crushed — opposition, allies, and even friends.
Opposition leaders face politically engineered arrests, baseless court cases, repeated bail denials, judicial manipulation, and smear campaigns in UPND-aligned media.
Now, internal challengers like Gary Nkombo are learning that no one is immune. The system punishes thought. It silences intent. It hunts down even rumors of independence.
This is not governance. It is fear-fueled dictatorship masquerading as democracy.
The Opposition Has Already Paid the Price
We have seen this movie before. Nickson Chilangwa was arrested and jailed on dubious charges. Ronald Chitotela was politically disarmed. MPs from Lumezi, Chiyengi, and Mfuwe were targeted in orchestrated legal campaigns.
Each case has followed the same pattern: fabricate charges, drag them through the courts, deny bail, and attempt to win their seats through manipulation, not merit.
And now, even a man like Gary Nkombo must bow and beg for political survival. The writing is on the wall. President Hichilema is intolerant of any perceived threat to his throne, even from within his own ranks.
Fear Has Replaced Leadership
A regime that quashes ambition is a regime that fears the very principles it was elected to uphold. What hope is there for freedom of thought, internal democracy, or open contestation, when even mere speculation requires a police report?
This is not about discipline. It is not about order. It is about control. And in that control, the President is slowly suffocating Zambia’s democracy.
Zambia Cannot Be Held Hostage by One Man’s Ego
Mr. President, you promised transformation. You vowed to respect democracy, uphold the rule of law, and protect freedoms. But the reality today is a far cry from those promises.
This is not leadership. It is tyranny disguised as civility. This is not reform. It is regression under a new name. This is not democracy. It is a one-man show, where everyone else is either silenced or subjugated.
If Gary Nkombo must fear for his life over a rumor, then no one in this country is safe.
The Time to Speak Up Is Now
We must not allow Zambia to descend into a state where questioning authority is considered insubordination and contesting power becomes a punishable offense.
Let this be a wake-up call to all Zambians: power that cannot be challenged is power that cannot be trusted.
We must resist this creeping culture of fear. We must demand leadership that welcomes scrutiny, not one that crushes it. We must rebuild a political environment where freedom is not a slogan, but a lived reality.
Because if even President Hichilema’s allies are now trembling in fear, then we are already deep into dangerous territory. And if we do not act now, tomorrow there may be no voices left to speak truth to power.
John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
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